Opium
The Opium is a substance produced and mainly used by Orc population. It has several properties, but most important among them are its ability to heighten the senses, cure several ailments and the fact that it worths its weight in magical residuum. Its last property is in fact unique, making it the only naturaly produce magical substance known to the world. 1g of Opium can be used to substitute 10 sovereigns worth of residuum. Forms Opium comes in two varieties: *A white paste that can be dried and rubbed to a fine dust. *A crystalic form, which is much stronger and much rarer. Production The Orcs keep their method of production secret. Up to now there is no stable Opium trade, though the Orcs are not averse to selling it. As a result small ammounts of Opium, in very high prices can be found almost in every corner of the world. The Opium is in fact a secretion of the Opium Lizard. Trade Existing Trade The Orcs have always traded small ammounts of Opium for various resources in the places they cross as they travel the Opium Road. From these place small ammounts of Opium find their way to the Eastern markets, mainy through the roads of the Muscovite Empire. Land Trade Any attempt to regularise the Opium trade would meet the obstacle of the Muscovite Empire who, since the decline of the Great Western Roads, would not miss a chance to overcharge merchants that crossed its ground. An added problem to a land Opium trade is the general instabilty of the area, and the various rogue tribes that prey on the remnants of the Great Roads in the Muscovite Empire. Sea Trade The seafaring nations of Ostpfalz have long pondered the possibility of an sea-bound Opium trade. This would ofcourse require the discovery of a sea route that would reach the Orcs, in some point upon the Opium Road. The Opium Road comes near the oceans in two particular places. At its South western end, where it reaches the Black Sea, south of Zeng, and at its North Eastern end where it approaches the Northern Sea. South Western Passage Reaching the South western end of the Opium Road would require reaching the Black Sea. Without employing the Khoda Desert caravans this could only be achieved in two ways: Through the South Western Passage, discovered by Francisco De la Torre, around the continent of Godwanna, a very long and arduous route, or through crossing the Great Eastern Ocean to the east until Zeng is reached, a completely unknown route, that always poses the threat of an unknown continuous landmass, cutting off the Eastern Ocean from the Black Sea. North Western Passage According to the known maps of the area the Northern Sea stops far short of the end of the Opium Road and is separated by it by a wide frozen plateau. Muscovite explorers describe this plateau as a completely barren and frozen land, where sustenance is impossible for more than a couple of days. Yet it is known that the Norsemen have in the past been in regular contact with the Orcs, and a steady trade between them used to exist and possibly still does. Since Orcs stop at the end of the Opium Road, where they spend the summer and Norsemen are not known to travel by land, this relation suggests that a sea crossing exists, from the Northern Sea to the west, possibly even to Zeng. The Dayne Expedition of 1402 is currently on its way to discover if such a passage exists. Category:Items